Both of the old railroad trestle piers off Gasparilla Road were wrecked by the same run of hurricanes, and neither has reopened. Behind the matching closed signs, Charlotte County made two different decisions. The Boca Grande Fishing Pier is getting a repair, and contractor bids open at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18. The Placida Fishing Pier on Pier Road is being torn down and rebuilt higher. That job is still in design and permitting, and it carries a budget more than three times larger.
The difference in scope is why one pier is close to construction and the other has a lot of steps still ahead.
One Railroad Left Two Piers Behind
Both piers are pieces of the same line. Construction on the Charlotte Harbor & Northern Railway began in 1906, and by 1913 the line stretched 109.75 miles, according to a Charlotte Sun history of the railroad. The trestle was built to carry phosphate. The same history says locals started fishing off it as soon as it was finished in 1907, timing their casts around the train schedule. The phosphate rock facility at Port Boca Grande closed in September 1979, the last tracks were pulled up by 1982, and that same year the county took ownership of the line.
A county presentation from May 12, 2026 says the north end of the trestle became a fishing pier once rail traffic stopped. When the Boca Beacon reported on the new state filings this October, it noted that the Placida pier's right-of-way is itself what remains of the railway.
After the 2024 storms, the Charlotte Sun reported that both the Placida and Boca Grande trestle piers were heavily damaged. Erosion had cut into the Placida approach walkway and the Boca Grande parking area badly enough that neither site was safe to enter. The two piers have been on separate tracks ever since.
The Boca Grande Pier Is a Repair, and It Is Out to Bid
The Boca Grande Fishing Pier at 5810 Gasparilla Road in Placida started first. The county issued a purchase order for design and permitting on July 8, 2025. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved its permit on June 30, 2026.
From there the county moved into procurement. Bid No. 20260640, "Boca Grande Fishing Pier Recovery Repairs," was posted on Oct. 6, 2026. The county held a pre-bid conference at 11 a.m. on Oct. 15, and bids open at 2 p.m. on Nov. 18 in the Purchasing Division conference room. The notice says the goal is to "restore the functionality and structural integrity" of the pier, and it requires bidders to hold a certified marine, general or specialty structure license.
The bid package estimates the repair contract at $579,882. The county's project page lists a total project budget of $978,600, funded through FEMA Public Assistance. As of this week the bid has not been awarded. The county's July column lays out what comes next. Once bids are reviewed, a contract goes to the County Commission at a future meeting, and the construction start date is set at a preconstruction conference after the award.
Placida Chose a New Pier, and That Restarts the Clock
The Placida Fishing Pier at 13120 Pier Road lost much more. The county's disaster recovery page describes a total loss of about 6,700 square feet of timber and composite pier. The approach walkway and bulkhead also eroded, and much of the rip rap revetment was lost.
The county hired Coastal Engineering Consultants to design and permit the pier and to provide limited construction observation. The firm's first task was to study other layouts, materials and building methods that could make the pier more storm resistant, ADA compliant and aligned with FEMA requirements. One option in the May 12 presentation was a new timber pier 9 feet wide and 660 feet long, built on the existing alignment over the existing jacketed piles.
The Board of County Commissioners voted on May 12, 2026 to replace the Placida pier and rebuild it at a higher elevation. In his July county column, Hector Flores wrote that "the new pier is under design and in permitting," and that bidding would follow once that work is done. On Oct. 6, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection published the plans Coastal Engineering Consultants had submitted for the rebuild, according to the Boca Beacon.
The project budget is $3.48 million, funded through FEMA Public Assistance. The county's project page estimates that the pier, boardwalk and dock work will be finished by Sept. 9, 2030. The county's Placida Fishing Pier page says the pier remains closed.
The Boca Grande pier is a repair to a structure that is still standing. The Placida pier is a new structure built higher, so it has to be fully designed and permitted before it can go out to bid.
| Boca Grande Fishing Pier | Placida Fishing Pier | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 5810 Gasparilla Road, Placida | 13120 Pier Road, Placida |
| County decision | Recovery repairs | Replace and rebuild at a higher elevation |
| Key permit or filing | Army Corps permit approved June 30, 2026 | State DEP published submitted plans Oct. 6, 2026 |
| Current stage | Bids open Nov. 18, 2026 | Design and permitting |
| Budget | $978,600 total; $579,882 estimated contract | $3.48 million total |
| Funding | FEMA Public Assistance | FEMA Public Assistance |
Where to Fish From Shore in Placida This Season
While both trestle piers are closed, Centennial Fishing Pier at 14021 Gasparilla Road is the open county pier in Placida. Charlotte County's facilities status page lists it as open. The same page lists the Placida and Boca Grande piers as closed for restoration, along with Anger, Bayshore West, Bayshore East, El Jobean and Port Charlotte Beach. The Centennial park page keeps the amenity list short: fishing, the pier itself and a portable toilet.
The timing works for the season. In an Oct. 1 Boca Beacon fishing column, Capt. Will Waterhouse predicted that the early fall transition would bring active fish in the backcountry, especially snook and redfish.
Before you head to Centennial, Placida's marinas list bait and supplies online:
- Gasparilla Marina lists a store and frozen bait, including squid, rigged sardines, mullet and chum blocks, along with boat rentals, storage and service.
- Cape Haze Marina lists a bait shop with live shrimp, plus fuel, a ship store and wet and dry storage.
- Eldred's Marina at 6301 Boca Grande Causeway is listed with a boat ramp, live and frozen bait, fuel, ice and a tackle shop.
For boaters, the county lists a boat ramp at Placida Park, 6499 Boca Grande Causeway. If you come down Placida Road, plan for work zones. The Oyster Creek Bridge on CR 775 went into construction on Oct. 12, 2026, and the county's November update says the contractor was mobilizing and setting up traffic control.
The next date on either pier's schedule is the Boca Grande bid opening at 2 p.m. on Nov. 18. For the Placida pier, the next step is finishing design and permitting so the new pier can go out to bid.
At Denise Heath, we follow the Cape Haze peninsula week by week, including the piers, ramps and bridge projects that shape how you get to the water. If you're weighing a home near Gasparilla Sound and want to know how a project like the Pier Road rebuild affects a particular street, let's connect.
